Mr Davey provoked further outrage as he dismissed “little Englander” critics of the UK contribution to the UN Green Climate Fund, insisting the UK has a “moral duty” to help the world’s poor cope with rising temperatures.

The money will be used to help poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change such as floods and droughts and help them develop their economies while curbing emissions.

Some Tories have voiced doubts about the massive giveaway, which comes from existing UK aid commitments, pointing out that the deficit is still running at £100 billion a year and Britain’s own flood defences need shoring up.

But aid agencies welcomed the move, saying it would help poorer countries cope with the impacts of climate change that are already being felt and build momentum towards a global climate deal which it is hoped can be secured in Paris next year.

The Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary said: “The poorest and most vulnerable on the planet are already suffering the effects of climate change and it’s our moral duty to act.”

Mr Davey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the impacts of climate change in other parts of the world would have implications for the UK, affecting supply chains of groceries and other products.

“People listening, I think, recognise that we live in a global economy where when something happens in another part of the world it can affect our lives here. The idea that we should be isolationist, little Englanders is a complete nonsense,” he said.

With the UK’s contribution, the climate fund now stands at about nine billion US dollars (£5.8 billion) with 13 countries pledging money, including three billion US dollars (£1.9 billion) from the US and one billion US dollars (£640 million) each from Germany and France.

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Americans attempt to remove some of the five feet of snow from a roof top in New York

Japan has also contributed 1.5 billion US dollars (£960 million), making it and the US the only countries which have pledged more than the UK.

Senior Tory backbencher Sir Edward Leigh, a former chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said he was not against funding “carefully costed” projects abroad, but said there was a need to look after the interests of UK people and taxpayers.

“There are many hard working taxpaying Conservatives who look at the fact that the overseas aid budget unlike every other budget has increased dramatically by, I think, 28 per cent over the last year and they wonder whether this money has been well spent.”

John O’Connell, of the Taxpayers Alliance, criticised the move.

“I’m sure this heart-warming gesture will warm the cockles of British homeowners who are still cleaning up the mess from last year’s floods. With public finances so stretched, we need to ensure that we’re meeting our obligations at home before signing up to such significant spending abroad.

"Every penny we spend on aid has to be carefully monitored to ensure it’s delivering for the people who need it most. That means spending what we need to spend, not plucking numbers out of the air.”

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David Cameron has pledged millions to the fight against climate change in third world

The row comes as former Prime Minister Tony Blair was honoured at a star-studded charity gala for spending billions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money on foreign aid.

Mr Blair was given Save The Children’s Global Legacy Award in recognition of his leadership on international development.

As prime minister, Mr Blair committed the UK to giving 0.7 per cent of GDP target in foreign aid and set up the Department for International Development (DFID).

The UK taxpayer currently hands out £11.5billion in foreign aid, more than it spends on housing.